Operating mechanism for fare-registers.



H. J. SIBLEY.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FARE REGISTERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1915- Patented J an. 2, 1917.

MO I

0 i OW J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J. SIBLEY, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, AssIGNo To OHMER FARE REGISTER COMPANY, 01' DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK.

Specification of Lett'ersl'atent.

Patented Jan. 2, 191-7.

Applicttion flled November 15, 1916. Serial N 0; 61,485.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY J. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanisms for Fare-Registers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accomianying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in. operating mechanism for fare registers. The said-operating mechanism consists generally in a stationary frame mountable in the rear of the register casing, a movable member mounted thereon, and an actuator mounted on said movable member and having a horizontal movement thereon, said actuator being subjected to the movement of the movable member in operating the particular register or bank ofcounters which is selected for operation by themovement of said actu ator.

The object of the present invention is to provide efficient and reliable means for compelling a proper operation of the movable member, that-is to say, a more uniform nuivement thereof or a movement which is devoid of jerks.

A type of fare register in connection with which the improvements are utilized may be seen in the Patent No. 971,630 granted to John F. ()hmer Oct. at, 1910.

Referring to i the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the operating mechanism above referred to; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of'the lower right hand corner portion of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a sectional view on the line a t-0p of- Fig. 2.

In the description to follow, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts both in the drawings and the/description.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a rectangular rimmed plate which is mountable in the rear of the register. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the register in connection with the operating device owing to such illustration being included in the patent re-.

ferred to.

Eldesignates a vertically movable gate the ends of which are extended and provided with grooves to receive the edges of guides 3 which are mounted on the inner face of the plate 1. The said gate has an upwardly extended portion terminating in a head 10 which is engaged by the arms of one or two bell-crank levers 9 the upper ends of which project through suitable slots or openings in the upper rim of the plate 1. The bellcrank levers 9 are pivoted at 11. If it is desired to operate the gate 2 from opposite points or directions, two flexible connections may be attached. to the upper ends of the bell-crank levers. In the drawings, one of such flexible connections is shown designated by the reference character 12. This flexible connection extends to suitable and convenient parts of the car in or upon which the machine is mounted and by pulling on said connection the gate is elevated to operate the selected bank of counters and the corresponding fare indicator associated therewith both of which are well known features of the fare register. lVhen the connection 12 is released, the gate 2 falls by gravity to its initial position, as shown in Fig. 1. A carriage (3 is supported on the gate and is movable horizontally in the rear thereof. This carriage has mounted upon it a lift 5 which has a laterally projected arm 5 projectingtherefrom and extendingthrough a-horizontal slot i in the gate. Thisarm 5 is adapted to engage a similar arm projecting from a'series of slots which are mounted in the back of the register andeach of which actuates a specific bank of counters and their particular indi cator. These are well known features of the fare register referred to and require no further mention.

The lift 5 is mounted in a vertical opening in the carriage 6 and is guidedin its vertical movement. The gate 2 when elevated elevates the lift 5 therewith, and the particular bank of counters which has been selected for operation is likewise actuated. The carriage 6 is moved back and forth to bring the lift ,5 to the desired bank of counters by means of a chain 8 which is connected to opposite sides of said carriage and the carriage is, therefore, moved back and forth to the selected position through this chain.

The said chain extends out into the car to a convenient point or points from which it may be operated. The object and purpose of the present invention is to prevent the gate being operated by too sudden jerks of either of the levers 9 and to compel a regular and more uniform operation of said gates. To accomplish this I provide a plate 19 which is fixed to a convenient part of the frame. In the drawings 1 have shown this plate attached to one of the vertical gate guides 3. The inner edge of said plate is provided with ratchet teeth and below said plate I provide an over-balanced pawl which is pivoted to the gate at 15. The lower arm 16 of this pawl is suitably weighted, while the upper or engaging end 1 f thereof lies a plane just outside of the ratchet teeth in which position it is held by a normally pressed coil spring 18 one end of which is attached to said pawl arm ll and the other end of which is attached to a convenient part of the gate. The strength of the spring 18 is just sutlicient to overcome the weight of the lower arm 16 of the pawl and to maintain said pawl in a position that frees the teeth of the plate 19. a. stop 17 engages the upper arm of the pawl and through the medium of this stop and the spring 18 the pawl is maintained normally in the position shown in the drawings. As long as the gate is elevated in a comparatively slow and regular manner, the position of the pawl as shown will not change or, in other words, the spring 18 controls it. f, however, a sudden initial jerk is imparted to the gate or a quickened movement after the gate is started to move, the inertia of the weighted arm 16 of the pawl will overcome the tension of the spring a d the engaging end 14; thereof will lock with the ratchet 19 thus preventing further movement of the gate until it is properly operated. The upward or operating movement of the gate is limited by an adjustable stop 13 which is mounted in the upper rim of the supporting plate in alinement with the head 10.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. in an operating device for fare registers, a movable member, a stationary ratchet mounted adjacent to said movable member, and a spring-controlled over-balanced pawl. pivoted to said movable member and one end of which is normally controlled by said spring in a position to clear the teeth of said ratchet when the movable member is given a uniform movement in actuating the same.

2. In an operating device for fare registers, a gate, means horizontally movable thereon and adapted to engage a selected register to be operated, said means being subjected to vertical movement by said gate, a stationary ratchet mounted adjacent to an end of said gate, and a spring-controlled over-balanced pawl. pivoted to said gate and one end of which is normally controlled by said spring in a position to clear the teeth of said ratchet when the gate is given a uniform movement in actuating the same, sub stantially as specified.

In an operating device for fare registers, the combination of a main supporting member, a gate mounted thereon and subject to vertical movement, guides engaging the ends of said gate and forming tracks upon which said te moves, a register-operating device carried by said gate and having horizontal. movement thereon to different positions of operation, a ratchet plate mounted upon one of the gate guides, an over-balanced pawl mounted on said gate in proximity to said ratchet plate, and a spring attached to'the nose of said pawl and normally holding said nose in a plane outside of the outer extremities of the teeth of said ratchet, the weight of the ovenbalanced portion of said pawl being controlled by the spring during a uniformly gradual movement of said gate, substantially as specified.

i. In an operating device for fare re 'isters, the combination of a supporting plate, a vertically movable gate mounted thereon, a register-operating device carried by said gate, a stationary plate having ratchet teeth overlapping an end of said gate, a pawl pivoted to said gate, the lower arm of said pawl being weighted, a compression spring attached to the upper arm of said pawl and to the gate, said spring overcoming the inertia of the pawl and maintaining the nose thereof in a position to free the ratchet during a comparatively slow and uniform upward movement of the gate, substantially as specified.

in testimony whereof I aliix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY J. STBLEY. Witnesses ll [ELLIE GALLOWAY, M. SIEBLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. 1). G. 

